Process of producing soap powder from soap stock high in fatty acid



Dec. 16, 1930. c. K. STODDER 1,785,054 I PROCESS OF'PRODUCING SOAPPOWDER FROM SOAP STOCK HIGH IN FATTY ACID Filed Aug. 28, 1928 Fig.1.

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- lnve'nTbr. ClemenT K. STOdd ;r byMMkW Patented Dec. 16, y 1930 vUNITED STATES,

PATENT: OFFICE -'CLEMENT x. s'rommn, or BROOKLINE, mssncnusn'rrs'rnodnss or PRODUCING soar rownnn snort soar s'rocx HIGH 1H rar'rx AcniApplication filed August 28,

This invention relates to a cold process of producing soap powder fromcrude soap stock high in fatty acids, such, for example,

as cotton-seed soap stock. 5 Such soap powder is used largely as a basefor cleaning compositions.

Crude soap stock which contains a high percentage of fatty acids is aplastic or semiplastic substance which cannot be comminuted or ground toproduce a soap powder. In usual processes of 'making'soap powder fromsoap stock containing a high percentage of fatty acids, such ascotton-seed soap stock, the soap stock is first boiled in a kettle withlive steam, water, a caustic and salt, thereby producing a liquidmixture or composition which is then run into a mixing tank or crutcherinto which 'suflicient soda ash is introduced while the mixture orcomposition is in a hot liquid'state, to produce a thick and pasty hotsfoap. .This hot soap is then placed in barrels or othenreceptacles andupon cooling produces a hard soap. This hard soap is thereafter'brokenup and ground to produce a soap powder.

Ordinarily in the manufacture of commercial cleaning compositions, otheringredients, including certain chemicals and sometimes abrasives, aremixed with this hard soap, 80 after it is broken up, and ground with thesoap to the desired fineness of the cleaning composition. 7

The present invention relates to the production by a. cold .process,from a crude soap stock containing a high percentage of fatty acids,such as cotton-seed soap stock, of a soap powder which may be useddirectly as a soap or which may be. mixed with other ingredients, .asaforesaid, to produce a'cleanin composition. 7

n accordance with the presentlinvention' the semi-plastic crude soapstock, such as cotton-seed soap stock, is divided into pieces ofsubstantially uniform cross-sectional area presenting large surfaceareas relatively to the mass thereof and said pieces subjected to theaction of an alkali in powdered form having an aflinity for the'moisture'of the soap stock, then permitting the alkali to absorb a substantialproportion of the moisture of the 1928. Serial ms. 302,632.

soap stock by aging, so that the soap stock will be, reduced to abrittle condition, and thereafter reducing the mixture to a desireddegree of fineness. In the practical use of the method the crude soapstock is first broken up into relatively small pieces and such piecesdesirably are so treated as to produce strips of substantially uniformcross-sectional area and preferably of cylindrical form.

This can be readily accomplishedby subjecting the pieces of cotton-seedsoap stock to extrusion through a suitable grid having apertures of thedesired size. The strips of cotton-seed soap stock thus obtruded arethen mixed directly with soda ash in powdered form,'preferably in theapproximate proportionsof one pound of soda ash to two pounds ofcotton-seed soap stock. During the extrusion process the soap stockforms in relatively short strips or ribbons, and the powdered soda ashadheres to and in effect coats the pieces of'soap stock while the excessof soda .ash surrounds and more or less embeds the Y can be readilyground. Under certain conditions the moisture contained in the mixtureafter the drying-out process imparts to the mixture a proper consistencyto permit of its being directly ground to form a soap powder. Underother conditions, however, too much moisture is eliminated from the soapstock during the drying-out or aging process, so that additionalmoisture is required to produce the desired result."

Additional moisture may be supplied by adding to the mixture, if toodry, a granular moisture containing alkali, such as sal soda,insufficient quantities to restore the moisture content to the mixture,which may then be reduced or ground to the desired degree of fineness. 1

If desired to produce a cleaning composition, other ingredients,chemicals, and, if de- 100 I sired, abrasive material may be addedduring equally applicable to other forms of crude soap stock, such astallow soap stock, grease machine 6. The extrudi soap stock or vegetableoil soap stocks which comprise a high percentage of fatty acids.

A preferred form of apparatus for performing the cold rocess method ofproducing soap powder rom crude soap stock high in fatty acids isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic view of associated apparatus forproducing the mixture before grinding or reducing; and

Figure 2 is an illustration of suitable apparatus for reducing andgrading the soap powder.

The crude soap stock after having been broken up into irregular piecesis placed in the hopper 1 of a feeder 2 and is carried by an endlessbelt .3, which extends beneath the hopper -1 and is driven by a pawl andratchet mechanism 4 to the hopper 5 of an extruding machine 6 desirablyis provided with a fee g screw 7 which forces the soap stock through agrid 8 at the lower end of the extruding machine. The soar? stockthusforced through the grid is 1n theform of ribbons or cylindricalstrips, and as it is extruded from pieces of more or less irregularitybreaks up into relatively short pieces. The extruded pieces aredelivered to a hopper 9 leading to a mixing machrne 10.

Soda ash is placed in a hopper 11 whlch, at its lower end, communicateswith the feeding device which, asillustrated, comprlses a screw 12 whichdelivers the material at any desired rate'," according to the rate atwhich the screw is driven, to a chute 13 which leads to the hopper 9, sothat soda ash passes into the mixing machine with the extruded pieces ofsoap stock. Any suitable type of mixing machine may be employed. Asillustrated, the mixing machine comprises a cylinder 14: having a shaft15 extending longitudinally thereof, which is provided with a series ofblades 16 adapted to mix the soap stock and soda ash and to carr itforward from the feeding end to the de ivery end of the cylinder, fromwhich it is delivered through a spout 17 to a barrel 18 or other recetacle.

The mixture thus accumulated 1n the barrel is permitted to age for asufiicient length of time to enable the soda ash to reduce the amount ofmoisture in the soap stock sufiiciently to cause the soap stock tobecome, britthe drum, and the pulverized material is delivered throughthe apertures-in the concave to the lower portion of the drum, fromwhich it escapes or is forcibly delivered through an outlet 25 and maybe packaged in any suitable manner.

If during the aging process too much moisturehas been eliminated fromthe mix ture, additional moisture may be supplied by introducing intothe hopper 20, manually or otherwise, a sufficient amount of sal soda torestore the mixture to the proper moisture content, or the sal soda maybe introduced directly into the mixture before it is placed in thehopper of the reducing machine.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings, which is adapted toproduce material of particularly uniform fineness, the soap powder isdelivered from the outlet 25 of the reducing machine directly upon areciprocating screen or bolt 26 of a desired mesh, through which soappowder of the desired fineness passes into a suitable receptacle 27. Thesoap powder which does not. pass through the screen is collected in asuitable receptacle (not shown) and may be returned to the hopper 20 ofthe grinding machine, to be reground.

Where it is desired to produce a commercial cleansing powder, additionalingredients, including chemicals, such as chemical salts and, ifdesired, abrasives, may be introduced'into the hopper 20 of the reducingmachine along with the mixture above described, and in passing throughthe mixture machine will be reduced and intimately mixed with the soappowder, so that the resulting product will be a powdered chemicalcomposition of the desired character and fineness.

It will be readily understood that various types of apparatus may beemployed to perform the process above described, and that the particularapparatus generally described herein is of an illustrative and notrestrictive character. 7

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A cold process of producing soap powder from a semi-plastic,moisture-containing soap stock which comprises dividing the plastic soapstock into pieces of large surness. k

face areas relatively to the mass of said pleces, embedding said piecesin a dehydrated powdered alkali having an aifinity for the moisture insaid moist soap stock, and aging the mixture to permit the alkali toabsorb a substantial proportion of the moisture and thereby .render thesoap stock brittle and then reducing the mixture to a desired finethenreducing the mixture to a desired fineness.

3. A cold process of producing soap powder from a semi-plastic,moisture-containing soap stock whlch comprises dividing theplastic soapstock into pieces of large surface areas relatively to the mass of saidpieces, embedding said pieces in a dehydrated powdered alkali having anafiinity for the moisture in said moist soap stock, and aging themixture to permit the alkali to absorb a substantial proportion of themoisture and thereby render the soap stock brittle, adding to themixture, if too dry, a granular moisture-containing alkali in suflicientquantities to restore the'proper moisture content to the mixture andthen reducing the mixture-to a desired fineness. p

4. A cold process of. producing soap powder from a semi-plasticcotton-seed soap stock'which comprises dividing the plastic soap stockinto small pieces presenting large 4 surface areasrelative to the massof said pieces,- embedding sa1d pieces 1n soda ash of granular form,aging said mixture to permit crosssectional area, embeddingthe extrudedstrips insoda ash of granular form in approximately the proportion ofone pound of soda ash to two pounds of said cotton-seed soap-stock,aging-the mixture to permit the soda a'shto absorb a substantialproportion of the moisture and thereby render the soap stock brittle,and then reducing the mixture to a desired fineness.

7 A cold process-of producing soa powder from a semi-plastic cotton-seesoap stock which comprises forming the plastic soap stock into strips byextrusion, subjecting the extruded strips to-the action of soda ash inthe approximate proportion of one pound of soda ash to two pounds ofcotton-. seed soap stock, aging the mixture until the.

and brittle, adding. sal soda to the mixture, if toodry, in sufiisoapstock becomes dry cient quantities to restore the proper moisturecontent to said mixture, and reducing the mixture to a desired fineness.j

' In testimony'whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

- CLEMENT K. STODDER.v

the alkali to absorb a substantial proportion I of the moisture andthereby render the soap stock brittle, and then reducing the mixture toa desired fineness. p

5- A cold process of producing soap powder from a semi-plasticcotton-seen soap stock which comprlses forming the plastic soap stock.into pieces of substantially uniform cross-sectional area, mixing withsaid pieces soda ash in granular form, aging said mixture until saidpieces of soap stock become dry and brittle, adding sal soda to saidmixture, if too dry, in suflicient quantities to restore the propermoisture content thereto,

and finally reducing the mixture to a desired fineness. I

6. A cold process of producing soap powder from a semi-plasticcotton-seed 'soap stock which comprises forming by extrusion the plasticsoap stock into strips of small

